Oh hey! Well, here is an easy, rustic, comfort food, and I must say, just a simply delicious dish–originally adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘my father’s daughter Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness’, that was a huge hit for dinner with my family.
By the way, don’t mind my son digging right into the eyeball there…he is quite the foodie who wouldn’t have those any other way but first!
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh whole sea bass or whatever fish is good, fresh, and preferably local (at least 2 pounds), scaled and gutted. [I scored a couple of beautiful pink snapper from Costco, which I used for this recipe]
- 1 tablespoon each fresh tarragon, basil, chives, and parley [I am lucky enough to have all these from our veggie garden, so if you have the same opportunity to use fresh, organic herbs, it’s even better]
- 1 lemon, cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil [I used Winter Hill’s– a local merchant’s award-winning Shakespeare’s Acre]
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Salsa Verde [recipe below]
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut 4 to 5 slits on each side of the fish, about 1/2 inch into the flesh.
- Combine the herbs and roughly chop them. Stuff each opening with a slice of lemon in the cavity of the fish. Lay the fish in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and salt. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the fish is firm but still moist.
- Serve with plenty of Salsa Verde
Salsa Verde
This recipe can be made ahead of time, but must be eaten the same day. You can change-up the herbs depending on what’s in season or growing in your garden. Personal tip…go heavy on the chives, easy on the parsley, generous on the anchovies 😉
Ingredients:
- 6 olive oil-packed Spanish anchovies (or regular)
- 1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp organic red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Put the anchovies into a bowl and crush into small pieces with a knife and fork.
- Stir in the mustard, red wine vinegar and herbs and slowly stream in the olive oil.
- Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.